Will of the Deceased
by ForeverinWonderland
Summary: No one knew of the existence of Byakuran's little sister. No one but him. And as he begins to construct the perfect world, he could only wish that she could've lived to see to see the world he wanted for her. Not so happy birthday fic for Byakuran.


**Well, I have to admit, I wasn't going to post this until later on, when I got more courage to post my first fic... But apparently, it's Byakuran's birthday today. *sigh***

**So, I guess introductions are due: this is Requiem, the Red Queen! Actually, just call me Requiem or RQ. Really doesn't matter... This is my very first fic I've ever posted and I'm more than a little nervous. I may know what makes a good fan fic, but that doesn't mean I can quite apply it to my own writing, sadly enough. Therefore I'm asking, please, no flames. I would like to use them to roast marshmallows, but I'll probably do that once I'm out of the corner of gloom growing my gloom shrooms.  
Constructive criticism is appreciated and I will apply that to my other fics, as this is a one-shot. I guess I'm trying to build my way up to write an actual story, rather than one-shots and drabbles.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn. How people handle the pressure of updates and making sure the fanbase stays happy is beyond my comprhension.**

'This means I'm thinking'  
"This means I'm talking"  
_'This is the deep inner voice in your head. And I don't mean the one that's telling you to go kill someone.'_

* * *

_When people wondered why it was so easy for Byakuran to hurt so many people without a single trace of regret, they thought it was because he was heartless. But in actuality, he wasn't, at least, not before._

_It was just that the one person he could love had died long ago. So Byakuran did have a heart, he was sure that it existed at one point in time. Maybe it left along with his precious person… The one person who would never see the world he desired, a world that was made for her sake..._

* * *

Shiro and Ran Gesso were siblings who always stood at opposite sides of the spectrum.

One was a healthy, mature boy, while the other was a sick, naive girl. The boy was a genius at anything intellectual, whether it was school or a game of strategy. The girl, on the other hand, was not stupid, but she never had the chance to learn things like her brother had.

The former had been all over the world, visiting America, Japan, England, and a variety of places accompanying their father. The latter lived her life in a meager cabin deep in their property, never seeing more than the plants and animals around her, along with the servants and her brother.

Shiro had experienced and viewed much of what life would throw at him as he grew, and witnessed that most of the misfortune, like lies or deaths, were being caused by other humans. Neither of those sights were uncommon as the son of a mafia boss. Those memories of torture and evil had long since embedded themselves into his heart and mind, until he began to hate humanity for the pain they caused as their corrupt and greedy grasps choked the earth and the innocent inhabitants.

The term he used to describe himself was a realist.

Ran was inexperienced with the workings of the world. Being cooped up had destroyed her chances to see the wonders that her brother had seen, yet never gave much thought to, like looking at the bright lights that lit up the metropolises of the world, making them glow like a cluster of stars. She could imagine the tender, loving looks of families and the smiles and giggles that accompanied friends as they went out to play. The scenarios that she would think of were part of her imagination, yet they still filled her with a sense of joy of living in this wonderful world.

Despite being a dreamer with her stuck in the clouds, Ran had long since accepted the cards of circumstance that fate had foisted upon her and instead, tried to make the most of her time.

Those differences were large enough to cross the Grand Canyon, but to them, how they differed from each other never mattered. Their clashing of philosophies never split their bond as siblings and never deterred the love and care they held for each other. Both would sacrifice anything to protect each other.

Yet sadly, nothing could be changed about the coming death of Ran. In essence, it had always been her destiny, her fate, to die at a young age.

Destiny… Fate... Oh, how Shiro detested those words…

* * *

"Why do you always have to win in chess?" The boy who sat next to the bed-ridden girl gave a chuckle at her pouting face, much to her indignation.

"Well, you place too much effort in trying to keep all your pieces safe, even your pawns. You need to start learning that you'll have to sacrifice a piece to keep the other ones alive."

The child huffed petulantly at his response, before retorting, "Shiro-ni. You sound too much like an old man! Your hair doesn't lessen your impression either…" With no regard to Shiro's bark of,"Hey!" the girl continued on with a forced air of nonchalance, "You definitely don't sound like a middle schooler either."

Shiro groaned at her hidden implication to a familiar topic and the sly gleam that touched her eyes. "Imouto..," he started with an exasperated tone. But before he could utter another word, his little sister shot him the look, reminiscent of a kicked puppy. One glance of her rapidly tearing eyes made the older brother cave. Reluctantly, he sighed and mused, "I honestly don't get why you want to hear about what I do in school so much, Ran…"

Yet Ran's face of still glowed bright with eager anticipation of her brother's school life. Shiro started to drone on in a bored tone. "The subjects are too easy, my fellow students are absolute idiots with nothing but hormones in their monkey brains, and the teachers are as boring as watching paint dry. The girls coo over me with loud squealing, like I'm deaf, and I definitely wouldn't wish that hellhole for you."

Shiro would've loved to skip a few grades; he was definitely smart enough for it. But to be renowned as a genius would attract too much attention, especially with his father's orders to stay low. If word got out, that the heir to the newly-founded Gesso family could be a potential threat, they would've been destroyed within a year.

Frustrated, the boy blew out an irritated puff and took a glance at his sister's face, only to see the familiar spark of stubbornness ignited in her eyes while her mouth opened to oppose his contradicting opinion of school.

"School can't be that bad, Shiro-ni! You get to make friends and do so many things, like having a Sports Festival or play fun sports in gym or get chased around with girls who want to give you chocolate! I mean, free chocolate! It definitely can't be that bad?" The girl's brother just shivered at her last suggestion. Her naive self would never understand the terror that was the existence of fangirls.

At the previous thought began to gather memories of chasing hordes, Shiro's agitation grew until he snapped out, "What would you know?! You've never taken even a few steps outside this house!"

All at once, he watched his sister's head fall, while arrows stabbed into his heart and panic rushed through his veins. "I-I didn't m-mean that, I-imouto! Come on! D-don't be sad!"

Ran just shook her head. After a moment though, she brought her face up and Shiro could see the tell-tale fog in her blue eyes that indicated a daydream constructed through her imagination.

That look was one he didn't like, due to the fact that he knew that they would never come true. The daydreams would taunt his sister with unfulfillable wishes and drag her down into a state of hopelessness when she could no longer stifle her craving for freedom.

"Even if it were to just go to school, I wish I could go outside."

Sadness clenched Shiro's heart as it draped its heavy burden throughout the small room and the bare necessities that sat in this mockery of a bedroom. The look on Ran's face was just enough to invoke the flood of horrible memories that told the tragedy that was his little sister's life. His imouto, who had lived her entire life in this pitiful house, never to see the true world.

But then again, his protective instincts arose whenever he thought of his precious orchid in the outside world. The miasma of corruption that was humankind would've choked the life, the light of the sky-blue eyes he treasured so much. Like the previous times that the topic of the outside world came up, Shiro's replying words spoke enough of his jaded view of this world.

"This world isn't as amazing as your stories make it out to be, Ran. It's ugly and twisted. It's something I never want you to see."

And like she would always do, Ran looked straight into his eyes with unfaltering will and stated, "I don't believe you."

Together, they followed the familiar routine, as Shiro paused and gazed deep into her azure eyes, with intentions to dig deep and find why she would never believe him each time their opinions on the world came up. But only the sky met his piercing stare, one too deep to search for answers. And as always, Shiro gave up.

However, something had changed today. Ran did not ignore his unspoken questions like usual.

Instead, she riveted her distant eyes on Shiro's own, and spoke with a serene tone, "This world can't be as horrible as you make it out to be, Shiro-ni. When I see the sky each day, and the stars and moon that shine at night, I can't see this world as anything but beautiful. Each animal that wanders past my window looks so alive and bright, every plant I see is full of vibrant energy, they all make me feel like I'm surrounded by the most amazing world ever…"

"Besides, this is where you are."

For a moment, Shiro peered at Ran with unreadable emotions and the light atmosphere reached out to blanket the two of them in its comforting embrace.

But a dark loathing resided in the brother's mind. It spoke of hatred for those who had caged his sister in this prison, for those who committed crimes that could never be revoked, and those who meandered in ignorance while the innocent, like his precious orchid, suffered in the shadows.

Briefly, that loathing took over his senses, and Shiro spat out venomously, "It's the humans who've warped this world. All they do is decimate whatever they touch and build their palaces on top of the ruins they've created without a single remorseful glance at the things and innocent beings that are left with the ashes and debris." A manic gleam shone from his eyes and a grim darkness curved along his mouth that was tilted into a sneer.

Ran gave a flinch that went unnoticed in her brother's rage. Each time her brother had gotten like this, a stone of dread weighed low in her stomach. She feared the hatred that laid in her brother's mind.

_One day_, her intuition whispered,_ his hatred will consume him and force him to an end_. But as much as she wanted to rid her brother's negative emotions, Ran knew that her efforts would never be enough, not when she was one of the causes to his ire.

So instead, she bit her lip, forced down the tremble that threatened to take over her voice, and blurted out as much inane nonsense as she could to distract him from the darkness hidden in his mind. In a cheery voice, she piped up, "Ne, Shiro-ni! Guess what happened yesterday!"

Relief flooded her senses as her brother's eyes softened at her unnoticably forced enthusiasm, a tell-tale sign that her Shiro was back.

"Just the other day before you arrived, there was this huuuugge storm with lots of rain and lightning. It was so scary, but I didn't hide under my covers this time! Nope! And then, after the storm ended, there was this ginormous rainbow in the sky! It stretched suuuppper far! I wish I could go chase after it to see one of the ends though. Maybe there's actually a leprechaun that sits there, but instead of having a pot of gold, it could be chocolate! And-"

Shiro, dark thoughts forgotten, was overloaded with the rushed sentences that spilled out of her mouth and eventually laughed at the sheer joy he could thought he could see on his little sister's face.

It was times like these where he would do anything to burn the memory into his mind until not even old age could erase her earnest voice, the flame that lit in her bright, sky-blue eyes, and the gentle, though talkative, smile that stretched from ear-to-ear on her childish face.

_These were the moments when he could forget that his sister was slowly, but surely dying, just as she had from birth._

* * *

"-and the frog peasant lived happily ever after with the prince." Ran couldn't stop the grin on her face as she started to roll around on her bed. There were few things she loved more than the fairy tales her brother would read to her every night when he came to visit for a few days.

Shiro just chuckled at the familiar delight Ran exuded each time he would finish a story. "Did you like this one?" He asked rhetorically. 'Of course she did,' the boy thought triumphantly, 'No one knows his imouto as well as I do.'

His smile beamed brightly at his sister's enthusiastic nod and her short, snowy-white hair, that curled underneath her chin, bobbed along. "Guess it's time to go to bed now," he teased with a laugh at Ran's groan of dismay. Carefully, she climbed underneath her sheets and sat back with a look towards Shiro that he couldn't quite read.

With a raised brow, the white-haired boy asked a silent question, one which his sister replied to with a question of her own.

"Will I get a prince someday too?"

Her brother smiled gently before his chest puffed out dramatically as he boasted loudly, "Who needs a prince when you a have a white knight right here for you, Hime-sama?" Ran's laughter turned into happy shrieks as Shiro attacked her sides with tickles.

"St-stop! I-I meant one I-I c-could m-marry, Sh-shiro-ni!"

'What...' Her brother stilled before he slumped back into his seat beside her bed, eyes unfocused. The thought of his cute little sister being given away to another man was one that he couldn't quite compute for a few minutes, to the point of that his brain stopped.

But the moment that notion finally made sense to his addled mind, the boy just chuckled darkly like a cliche villain as a black miasma covered his body, one that would've been terrifying if the girl could sense actual evil intent. 'Nope, this is just her Shiro-ni being overprotective again,' Ran sighed in exasperation.

"Shiro-ni! You're making that weird face again…"

At last, the boy was shaken out of his stupor filled with imaginative scenarios as to what he would do to his orchid's possible future suitors. Of course, none of them would live.

But at his sister's disapproving face, Shiro grumbled, "I could do a lot more for you than a stupid stranger would," with a glare aimed at nothing, he continued with conviction, "If it were up to me, I'd bring you everywhere and anywhere you wanted. We'd go see to Antarctica to see penguins and Japan to try out dango. I'd even bring you to see the ocean!"

At each of the possible destinations, Ran's face glowed with happiness. "Ne, Shiro-ni! When we go, can I collect sea shells and make a sea castle and- and-!" her enthusiasm sky-rocketed at her brother's nod and she stood on her bed.

Immediately, she started to jump in joy with screams of, "Yatta!" while Shiro fought to hide his laughter at her childish, yet infectious joy, only to lose after just seconds of her proclamations of cheerfulness.

The moment her brother started to snicker, the girl stopped in front of his face with a bright gleam in her eye. Sparkles surrounded her head in an impossible feat and her hands were waved in crazy, swooping gestures around her head. "We could even catch a bunch of clams and eat them together Shiro-nii!" she deman- er, suggested with a look of pure determination on her face.

Shiro laughed even harder with tears in his eyes as his sister waited impatiently for his response. While her dainty foot tapped the bed, her brother eventually regained control of himself and with minimal wheezes, he choked out, "Yes. Yes, we will. Someday, when I get you out of here."

Satisfied like a cat who ate the canary, Ran ungracefully plopped down onto her bed with her mouth ready to speak when all of a sudden the breath that she took in ended with-

_'No…Why now?!'_

-a brutal cough that began to wrack her lungs as her illness reappeared. Shiro stared in horror as his little sister began hacking and choking from a sudden attack in her body, her face squeezed in panic and her fists gripped onto the front of her pajamas. Ran's diminutive body trembled from the force of her coughs as she wheezed desperately, pain in each attempt.

Each and every time this happened in his presence, Shiro couldn't do a thing while his orchid tried so hard to fight the attacks that periodically wrecked her frail, curled-up body.

By the time he shook himself into action, he grabbed the door, ready to fling it open to call for medical help, he heard a different, more terrifying cough from Ran.

The moment he had turned around, all he could focus on at first were the agonised tears on his little sister's face and the pitiful whimper that escaped in her state of fear. But as he followed her eyes to her hand that was wracked with shivers, he felt his heart shatter and a sob build in his throat.

Blood. Crimson blood splattered on his little sister's delicate hand.

Ran could feel the tumultuous anxiety and panic roll through her as it erased the traces of pain in her body, but not in her heart as she gradually lifted her head to stare at her brother's heartbroken gaze of disbelief. Iron-hot daggers plunged their edges into her heart. Never had her sickness gotten so bad, that she would cough up blood.

As her gaze slowly unfocused and a haze settled over her vision, she was bid goodnight with the grief-stricken face of her brother.

And the moment she slipped into the state of unconscious, Shiro felt a scream rip out of his throat with all the torture and terror that burdened his shoulders.

"RAN!"

_At the age of 14, while a young boy was training to be a mafia boss, another boy, the same age was watching as his sister's impending death marched on closer each day._

* * *

"Uwaahh~ So good~!"

Shiro smirked smugly at Ran's beaming face as she tried out his new favorite food. It was the perfect sweet, soft and fluffy like a cloud. In other words, it was like ambrosia to Shiro.

Stuck in a daze, the boy grabbed one of the squishy sweets and popped it into his mouth, smiling all the time with his eyes close to savor the sugary-goodness. Yet as he opened his eyes, he swallowed a yelp at the intense sky-blue eyes that stared close enough that Shiro could make out streaks of cerulean amongst the azure color.

"R-ran?"

The girl's eyes narrowed by a fraction and the color darkened to the shade of lapis lazuli with her intensity.

"What is this called?"

Unnerved by the strange behavior of his little sister, Shiro took a moment to gulp down a lump that appeared in his throat. 'Wait a minute… That's just the-'

"Marshmallow. It's called a marshmallow."

The brother breathed a sigh of relief once his sister scooted backwards to flop onto the covers of her bed with a satisfied face.

So, for a while, Shiro just sat, chewing marshmallows, as he peered at his sister's contemplative gaze, when all of a sudden, she shot up, nearly making Shiro choke in surprise.

A shiver ran down his spine at his orchid's scheming gaze, the moment he spotted a mischievous gleam in her eyes. With a sweet, innocent voice, Ran widened her eyes to a look similar to an adorably cute fawn. "Ne, Shiro-ni~!"

'Crap. Why do I have this bad feeling?'

"Next time you come, can you bring more sweets too? Like chocolate truffles, and strawberry cakes covered in frosting and caramelized apples-." Shiro subconsciously started to retreat, away from his sister's uncharacteristic acting, only to be thwarted by the back of his chair. All he could do was gape in amazement and slight disturbance as Ran's list went on, and on, and on.

"-Maybe get some toffee or cookies, you know the ones covered in sugar-."

"Stop!" The girl paused, the manic shine in her eyes slight diminishing, to look at her sweating brother. "H-how about I b-bring you something h-heathly? T-that much s-sugar can't b-be good f-for you…"

Shiro twitched. Crap. What can I offer? Damnit… I think I've unleashed her inner sweet-tooth monster… Hesitantly, the nervous boy gave a suggestion.

"How about pineapples? They're full of fiber and potassium, and they've also got plenty of vitamin C."

"No." The boy deflated at his sister's petulant expression. With a defiant aura, Ran huffed. "They look too weird and they're prickly. I don't want a pineapple."

'Spoken like a true child…' Amusement sparked in Shiro's mind and with a steady voice, he gave a hum and asked, "How 'bout we eat a bunny next time? I've heard rabbits are extremely tasty."

'Gotta… Stay… Calm…' Laughter threatened to engulf the boy at the hilariously aghast face on his sister's face as she sputtered, the thought of eating an innocent, brown-furred bunny with fluffy fur and wide, innocent eyes.

"Y-you can't!" Ran flailed her arms in distress, her mouth running a mile a minute.

"I forbid you from eating any bunnies! O-or little birdies, like canaries, or any other animal I like! That means no octopus, no bulls, or frogs, sharks, leopards or lions, kangaroos, dogs, hedgehogs, o-or owls! If you do, I-I'll… I'll eat all your marshmallows, baka Shiro-ni!"

As Ran's rampage stopped, she stood, breathing heavily in confusion.

"Shiro-ni… What are you doing on the floor? And why are you wheezing a-and-! Wait.. Are you crying?!"

Shiro wiped a few tears that leaked from his mirthful eyes and unsteadily rose to his feet, not before lifting up his chair from its sideways position on the floor. A snicker escaped when he saw his orchid's adorably concerned face and gently, he patted the top of her white-covered head, causing her shoulder-length hair to bob slightly.

Ran responded with an ever-cheerful smile that caused an ache to form in Shiro's chest. With a close look, he could see the beginnings of bags that rested underneath her eyes and spot the paler-than-usual complexion. And the moment he pulled her into a hug, he could feel her soft hair underneath his chin, a comforting sensation compared to the dread that filled him as his hand felt the bony ribs underneath Ran's dress.

"Ran. I promise you that once I'm the boss of the Gesso, I'll get you out of here and take you to the main quarters, so you can get proper treatment for your illness. You won't be alone. I'll see you each and every day, maybe every hour, rather than visiting once every two weeks. I promise you, my precious imouto. I'll make you happy."

In return, the girl snuggled closer into his hug, basking in his kind, loving warmth. Slightly muffled, Ran whispered, just loud enough for Shiro to hear.

"I've always been happy when you're here, Shiro-ni. I don't need anything more than that."

Her brother pulled back and shook his head. A slight desperation was palpable in him. "But, I've found a possible way to find a cure for you. There's been rumours about a member of the Bovino family in Nanimori, Japan. If I find them, I could get them to ask to research a method to heal you! If it works, we-"

"Your father would not approve, bochama."

The siblings stilled and gradually swerved their gazes at the resident butler who stood at the doorway. Dead, black eyes stared into Shiro's lilac eyes and a tone of condescending entered his voice despite the blank, emotionless face. The tight, badly-healed skin around his scarred chin stretched as his mouth moved to speak.

"To ask for help is a weakness in the mafia world. What's more, the Gesso family would be put into debt to a middle-class family. That implication makes your suggestion impossible."

Ran noticeably shuddered from behind Shiro, her white-knuckled hands making crinkles in his pristinely ironed shirt. The boy responded with a slight shifting to hide her from the cold, eerie gaze of the butler and bristled. "What do you want!"

It was not a question, but an order, one that was responded to with a suspicious gleam in the servant's eyes. Slowly with purpose, the butler recited his reason for intruding.

"Your father would like you to return early, bochama. There is business to be dealt with and no time to be spent with ill-bred distractions, as your father puts it."

"That ill-bred distraction is his own daughter!"

Unfazed by Shiro's ferocity, the servant repeated the summon for the boy. "Bochama, you have been ordered to return."

"Like hell I wi-."

"Shiro-ni."

The faint chime of Ran's voice drew Shiro's attention and he noticed that her hands no longer grasped his back, but were in her lap, slightly shaking. His sister smiled brightly, eyes closed to hide the emotions that shone so clear in her eyes. She encouraged him cheerily, "It's okay. You can go."

Ran's bangs covered her eyes as she swerved her head to the side of her bed, where sheets of paper were stacked neatly. "Besides, on your next visit, I'll have a present for you, but I can't get started until you go."

In reluctance, Shiro gave a small, "Hai," before walking towards the door. Without looking back, the brother paused at the door and gave a small wave from behind to say goodbye before he turned around the corner and disappeared.

The butler began to close the door, but not before he turned to look at the girl who sat alone on her bed. Ran met his gaze just in time to see the sneer of disgust that twisted his expression into something sinister right as the door closed and the quiet click of the door knob signaled that it had been locked.

A salty taste snuck into her mouth, erasing the sweet coating of sugar, and the child brought up her knees to her chest, as though to protect herself. But nothing could stop the tears that trickled down and reaching her mouth or the shake in her voice as she muttered a goodbye to her brother.

"Sayonara. Dewamata." (Goodbye. I'll see you later.)

_Her true words went unheard to the world, for the little orchid knew she could never ask of it. So as much as her heart cried out, no one would ever know that what she really meant was:_

_Please. Don't leave me._

* * *

"What was it you wanted to give me?"Shiro only had a faint idea as he stared at the numerous band-aids and cuts on Ran's fingers.

In response, the girl flushed in embarrassment and with a hesitant voice, she whispered sheepishly, "W-well… T-turns out I-I couldn't f-finish i-it in time…"

"So? May I see it?" The sister met her brother's eyes and softened at the gentleness she found in his purple eyes. With a feeling of comfort, Ran bobbed her head in a yes and crawled to the side of the bed.

Curiosity peaked the moment Shiro heard a shuffle of papers and he smiled at the large chain of cranes that hung from strings that were tied together at the top.

Ran raised them high so her brother could see the sheer length of it. "There's a legend in Japan about a thousand paper cranes. If you can finish all one thousand, some versions say you'll be granted recovery from an illness or eternal good luck. But some of them say that a crane will come and grant a single wish for the maker," she whispered.

Her brother responded with a jovial grin. "So you'll wish for your recovery?"

"No."

His eyes turned dark with confusion, but the girl had figured out a long time ago what she wanted to wish for. So when her dear brother opened his mouth to question her choice, she interrupted him.

With misty eyes, Ran raised her gaze to meet Shiro's own for the first time during his latest visit.

"I already know I'm going to die soon."

_'No. Please, don't do this to me…'_

"A doctor visited a few days ago. He told me I wouldn't live to see spring. That's in a few months."

_'Stop it. Please, please I'm begging you!'_

"What I wish for is that you live on, happy and content."

"So you've given up! Is that what you've done?!" At Shiro's enraged reply, Ran had to swallow several times until she could bare to give a small, "No."

And with that, Shiro disappeared, only to be replaced with an unfamiliar boy who stood in his place, snarling and snapping like a wounded beast. "All those plans we made, going to see the ocean, bringing you all around the world, were those all just lies?!"

"NO!" Ran screamed back. "They were never lies!" With heavy gasps and tears that pricked her eyes, she had spoken with an insurmountable amount of conviction in her voice.

"Then why?!" To the confused, wounded boy, her will did not matter. All he wanted to know was why she wanted to leave him. Didn't she know that she was the only one he cared for? Without her, he was lost. Without her, he had no purpose.

Silence reigned supreme before Ran gave a mere whisper filled with a deep exhaustion, as though she knew her three simple words would break her brother's heart into itty bitty pieces.

"It's my fate."

And so, the boy got up and left the room, slamming the door hard enough that all he could hear of his sister's farewell was, "Shiro-ni, I lo-."

All that was left in the room was a child, no more than 8 years old, who had cried so much before her brother's visit, hurting from the words she would have to tell him, that tears no longer fell. Instead they stubbornly stayed in her mourning eyes and blurred her last glimpse of her brother.

Never again would that girl and her 15 year old brother meet. Maybe, in a universe, he would've visited her in the morning, whether it was to apologize or to beg her to reconsider. Perhaps, they would've sat together in somber silence, while the girl continued constructing her paper cranes with her brother sitting by her side like a stoic guardian.

All these possibilities were rendered impossible, a fact that Shiro knew the moment he awoke the next day to the beeps of his heart monitor and stared at the bandaged burns on his legs that brought up memories of the butler carrying him out of the house as it was engulfed by an inferno.

_No one else had escaped the house that day._

* * *

An accident. That was what the fire had been called. Someone had knocked down a candle and it spread quickly through the small, wooden house. Along with it's destruction, were the deaths of 7 people, Ran being one of them.

For the next few months, Shiro had shuffled along with his life, as though stuck in a haze. It hurt too much to think, to feel, so in an act of desperation, he shut down. But he knew he couldn't stay like that, not when his sister had wished for him to be happy.

However, the only way he could even start to be happy was through exacting revenge. The raging inferno that engulfed his sister's body was not an accident. Shiro knew exactly who planned it, from a nagging thought that surfaced a year after.

Ran was a distraction from his duties as heir to the Gesso family. She was his weakness, someone that he would've done anything for, to make sure she was happy and safe, even if it meant sacrificing the well-being of the Gesso family. It was a fact proven when he was willing to beg for help of the Bovino family, a plan that had been overheard by the butler and relayed to the boss of the Gesso family.

So, to keep his legacy intact, his father, no, that man killed his illegitimate daughter, annihilating Shiro's only anchor to reality along the way, which was viewed as a bonus to that man. The implication should've made Shiro easier to manipulate to fit the mold of the perfect heir that the man had imagined for him. With no determination to live and having fallen to his lowest point mentally, the boy should've had no will to resist any orders that were given to him, right?

Yet, here the boy was, having just inherited the Gesso family mere weeks ago, on his 18th birthday due to his father's tragic assassination.

Shiro had no doubt that it was the best present ever.

But even with his revenge being done, Shiro was still not happy. Everything passed on as though he were walking through a simple game of chess, occasionally moving a piece or two with no real challenge. The last wish of his precious orchid had not been fulfilled.

So, with that in mind, he thought how he could obtain happiness until finally, he found it.

He could create a new, perfect world. One that he could enjoy without the greedy, selfish humans controlling lives of the innocent. This world would be the one where his sister could've lived on by his side, with her smile ever-present and her eyes still bright and blue like the morning sky.

And as half a year passed from his inheritance, Shiro was able to begin choosing his pawns and gradually set them up to be the most gratifying game ever.

* * *

"H-hello. D-do you mind i-if I s-sit here?"

"Hm? Not at all~."

"Th-thank y-you… I-I'm… My n-name is I-Irie Shoichi. A-and y-yours?"

Shoichi watched as the white-haired man's eyes began to distance themselves and he swallowed nervously, afraid that he had made some sort of offensive mistake. If the red-headed boy had not been distracted by his aching stomach and his debilitating anxiety, perhaps he would've noticed the cold gleam that ran through the other man's lilac eyes. Maybe, if he had, he would've stopped their friendship from starting, and prevent Byakuran from obtaining one of his most valuable pieces and intelligence expert.

However, Shoichi didn't notice as the former Shiro contemplated a new name.

It has to signal a beginning of a new life, yet remind me of my past mistake. Shiro was a weakling who couldn't do a thing to protect the one person he loved the most. He couldn't protect Ran.

'Shiro… Ran…'

Shoichi shivered at the eerie grin on the man who sat next to him. With his lilac eyes closed and his mouth curved into a mischievous, sly smile, the newly named man set his head in the palm of one hand.

"Byakuran. Call me Byakuran~."

Omake:

When Yuni imagined dying, she wasn't quite sure about what she'd see. Maybe, her eyes would open to see her mother and father's ghosts waiting to greet her.

But one moment, her body and Gamma's had disintegrated with her in his arms, and the next, she was standing on a cobbled pathway that led to a small wooden bridge. An array of colorful flowers swayed to an unnoticeable breeze as their fluffy seeds danced along the wind with twirls in an intricate dance. Everything was bright, yet filled her Yuni's heart with a feeling of serenity.

In a blink of an eye though, a little girl, around the age of 8 stood between Yuni and the bridge.

Long, snow white hair fluffed up a little from where it ended around her waist and bangs curled around her face. With her head tilted downwards, Yuni could not see her above her nose at all.

After a long moment of silence, Yuni opened her mouth to ask about her whereabouts and froze when no sound came out.

"You still aren't allowed to move on yet. There's one more thing you must do."

Hearing the ghostly girl's voice was like listening to the tinkling of chimes, both ethereal and beautiful. As if sensing Yuni's thoughts, the girl's mouth curved into a small grin.

Unable to hold onto her curiosity, Yuni tilted her head, eyebrows slightly furrowed in an inquiring manner. In response, the white-haired ghost gave a sigh in exasperation and said in her light voice, "There is a Trial coming up. It is one that your younger self will not be able to handle, or make tough decisions with. Even with your future memories, she won't have the maturity to understand the significance of her choices. Therefore, you must leave soon."

By the end of her explanation, the breeze begin to pick up as the floating seeds were rapidly pushed away. Gradually, a tingling spread across Yuni's body and she nodded her head towards the ghost in understanding. It was almost time for her to leave and finish her final task.

But the ghost girl's mouth began to turn downwards and her tiny teeth began gnawing at her bottom lip in anxiety. With a pause, the girl spoke in a hesitant voice and she walked over with short, speedy steps, hands hidden behind her back.

"C-can you pass on something for my brother? I-I never got to finish this and give it to him b-before I…"

Yuni smiled sympathetically and reached out to grab the present in the ghost's hands. To her amazement, it was a chain of cranes, a thousand of them to be specific, all strung up with strings in an array of all colors.

The ethereal little girl's breath hitched slightly and her shoulders began to shake. While the funny tingling sensation spread from Yuni's hands and legs towards her torso, the smaller girl took a deep breath and shot her head straight up to stare into Yuni's eyes. Surprised, sky blue eyes met with a pair exactly the same, only covered by a gleaming layer of coming tears.

Yuni took in the face of the girl with similar eyes and stared at the oh-so-familar features, especially the blue mark under one eye that was in the shape of a crown.

And once that face took in a shuddering breath, the familiar looking girl gave a plea that Yuni could not resist.

"P-please. Give him t-the cranes and tell h-him that… I've already lived in a perfect world, each time he sat down beside me and just talked…"

The tingling had now spread to Yuni's neck and the wind grew harsher. Due to its force, Byakuran's sister begged over the roar of the wind, as loud as she could.

"Lastly… Tell Shiro-ni that I-!"

Before she could finish, Yuni was swept off her feet and back into her world's past. But despite the unfinished message, the Sky Arcobaleno knew exactly what the ghost had wanted to say.

Tell Shiro-ni that I love him.

* * *

The first sensation she came to was the prickly feeling of grass underneath her legs that poked at her skin and the hard bark behind her back. With a drowsy opening of her eyes, Yuni watched the boy in front of her line of sight as he sat on his knees, head nearly touching the forest floor and back towards her. Her eyes began to make out a round-ish stone in front of him with something carved into the surface.

And all of a sudden, she could hear the sounds that had been muffled through her haze. With each sound her heart twisted in pain, when the heaving sobs reached her ears.

The boy cried loudly, sniffling and shaking from the tremors that shook his body with each gasp as tears streamed out of his eyes.

It was a sound she knew well, one that she had made herself once her mama had died. This was the crying of a child who lost their mother, the man who lost her love, and the family that lost their shining light of joy. It was the crying of someone who was drowning in agony, to the point where the world around them no longer mattered.

Try as she might, Yuni could not stifle the tears that arose with her own memories of those long, sleepless nights spent with constant sobs that wracked her body. Unsteadily, she rose to her feet, and padded along the grassy floor until she reached the boy's location, the strings of cranes held tightly in her hand. Here, she got a clear view of the words carved into the grave.

Ran

That was all that was written. In front, laid a bouquet of baby's breath, bluebells, forget-me-nots and sweet peas lay before the grave, amateurishly arranged. But the meanings were from the heart.

_Innocence, gratitude, remembrance and goodbye._

"Byakuran… Your sister… Ran. She wanted me to give something to you."

* * *

Only the maker of the thousand paper cranes can make a wish, whether it is for a friend or family. Once the wish is made, some versions say that it can be given away to the person the maker wishes for. So, Mister Crane, please make my wish for my brother come true.

On that day when I said what I wanted to wish for, I guess I didn't say it quite right.

So, here is my true wish:

"Let my brother live happily without me, surrounded by ones who will love him like he did for me.

(Sayonara. Dewamata.)

* * *

**Well, that's the end. And flippin' heck do I think that was much too rushed. TTxTT I had no cue what to do though...**

**And the majority of you reading probably noticed the references I put, like pineapple, the multiple box animals, the frog peasant and the prince, ect.  
Thanks for taking the time to read this fic. I know it probably wasn't a very good job, but for my first-ish try, it's not something that's too painful to look at...  
As for the language of flowers, half of it's from the European language of flowers, while the other half's Japanese. Meh, I tried to make it work.  
Lastly, Byakuran's age is stated to be mid-twenties to early-thirties. I claim him to be around 24-ish, so he's Tsuna's age when Ran dies.  
Oh right... Ran means orchid in Japanese, while Shiro is white. Byakuran means white orchid. Originally, I thought it meant a hundred white orchids, but apparently that was wrong. That was how I was going to incorporate the thousand paper cranes and having Ran only finish 100, though after searching the legend up, I liked it too much to leave it.**

**So review, favorite or just click that little red x at the top of your screen. Once again, when I get out of my corner of depression, any flames will be used to roast Byakuran's marshmallows. Constructive criticism will be treasured :D**


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